title: Male gender significantly increases risk of oxidative stress related congenital anomalies in the non-diabetic population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative stress (OS) is an important mechanism of teratogenesis. Recent work suggests increased OS in males. We evaluated whether male gender increased the risk of cyanotic congenital heart defects (CCHD) whose development is linked to OS and other common congenital anomalies (CA) in non-diabetic pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  CDC-National Center for Health Statistics data for 19 states in 2006 were reviewed. CCHD, anencephaly, spina bifida, congenial diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), omphalocele, gastroschisis, limb defects, cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and isolated cleft palate were evaluated. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) were calculated for CA in males with females as the reference group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,194, 581, cases analyzed after exclusions, 3037 (0.25%) had major CA. Males had elevated adjusted OR (95% CI) for CCHD: 1.198 (1.027, 1.397), CDH: 1.487 (1.078, 2.051), and CL/P: 1.431 (1.24, 1.651). There was a significant interaction between cigarette use and (male) fetal gender and also with maternal age in the CL/P group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In non-diabetic pregnancies, male gender appears to be an independent risk factor for some types of CA believed to be associated with OS. Cigarette smoking, a well recognized source of OS only increased the risk of CL/P in males.
authors.affiliation: Department of OB/GYN, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA. rbahados@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Ray O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Bahado-Singh
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schenone
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordoba
authors.forename: Wen-Shi
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.forename: Devika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maulik
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: E Albert
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Reece
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology